Contact switch-box.



S. R. HIPPLE & W. L. GONWBLL.

CONTACT SWITCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

ruz NORRIS PETERS co..Pnom u1-no.. wAsI-mv'c row, 0 b

lllilll II Ii lllll" Mafia/6 Q3,

S. R. HIPPLB & W. L. GONW ELL.

CONTACT SWITCH BOX.

APPLICATION nun mm: 17, 1912.

13105,,907. Patented Aug. 4, 191L & 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi lmeowo THEI NORRIS PETERS CQ, PHOTO LIT/'40.. WASHINGTON. D C.

S. R. HIPPLE & W. L. GONWBLL.

CONTACT SWITCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

I mm

wi tmmoeo W Z gz c- THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. FHOI'OLITHOu WASHINGTON. U. L.

UNITED s'rnrrns PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON. BITTER I-IIPPLE, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WALTER LEWIS CONWELL, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

CONTACT SWITCH-BOX.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

- Application filed June 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,152. i

T0 at whom it may concern Be it knownithat we, SOLOMON BITTER Hrrrnn and WALTER LEWIS Coxwnnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Villiamsport, in the county of Lyconiing and State of Pennsylvania, and at Montclair, in the county of Esscxand State of New Jersey, respectively,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inContact Switch Boxes; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art ;to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric railways of that type in which switch boxes are locatcd at intervals along the road bed and successively rendered alive from a feed wire tact member of the switch to insure the con-- tinuous engagement of said movable contact member with the fixed contact member throughout the interval of time during which the collector shoe on the car is in contact with the switch box, thereby avoiding arcing or sticking and rendering certain the uninterrupted flow of the electric current to the driving motor on the car. By employii'igthis invention a pressure of from nineteen to twenty pounds may be secured between the contact members of the switch whereas only about five pounds pressure was obtainable with prior devices of this kind. Experiment has shown that it is necessary for the proper operation of this type of electric railway system tolhave substantially the pressure produced by the present construction, the much lower pressure which other devices are capable of producing having proved insufficient and impracticable.

Another objectis to provide a simplified and reliable magnetically operated contact box in which the contacts of the switch are brought into engagement only by the magnetic lines of force passing'from the magnets on the car to and through the boxso that only those boxes will be energized that are immediately under the car, the other boxes being dead.

The invention also has for its objectthe provision of a switch box in which access pairs when necessary will. be facilitated and a further object is to provide a switch box in which dissipation of the current and the formation of short circuits will be prevented.

A further object of the invention .isto improve the connection between the feed wire or cable and the fixed contact of the switch as well as to provide simple and ctlicient means to secure the cable in position relative to the box and to aid in holdingthe box in position on the railway tie or other support.

\Vith these and other incidental objects, which will appear as the description proceeds, in view, the invention consists incertain novel features which will be first full described hereinafter and then set forti with particularity inwthe claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying: drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the contact switch box. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig.3 is an elevation of the cable end of the switch box. Fig. 4 is a vertical scctionon line "l-"l-, Fig. l. Figs. 5 and 6 are vcrti all sections on line 5-6, Fig.1, looking respectively to the right and left thereof. F in. 7 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the housing or casing of the switch box. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of cover.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the movable contact.

The body or housing 1 of the switch box is preferably molded of concrete or similar material and presents an open-top chamber 2, the said body having flanges or base extensions 3, i, at its opposite ends thatare reinforced by metal or other bars 5 embeddcdthcrcin. The body is placed on a cross tie of the roadbed and has one end fastened thereto by bolts 6 passed through metal bushings 7 in the base extension 3 while the other base extension, 4, is in the form of a trough-like seat 8 through which the feed wire or supply conductor, in the present instance a cable 9 housed in a pipe 10, extends. U-shaped clips 11 straddle the conductor adjacent the ends of the base extension 4 and depend below the body of the boxto over lap the tie or other support on which the box is mounted. The ends of the clips are secured to the tie or other support byany convenient fastening devices and they there by hold the feed wire in proper relation to.

the housing and also secure the housing to its support so that the use of bolts or other: devices which would tend to interfere with the placing of the feed Wire is rendered unnecessary.

Vvithin the housing is a plate or block 12 of insulation fitted to the end wall of thechamber 2 and having secured thereto a fixed contact 13. Thiscontact comprises an "'25 angular bracket 14 which has its base 15 bearing on the plate 12 and fitted between:

vertical ribs 16 thereon, the upper member of the bracket being formed with a stiffening rib l7. Passing through the wall of the 80"housing, the plate 12 and the base 15 of thebracket 14, is a bo1t'18 which is insulated fro-m the housing by a bushing 19 of insulation. The head 20 of the bolt is partially set into the head 21 of the bushing and the "inner end of the boltis threaded to receive a nut 22 which holds the parts in place, there being a spring 23 and a washer 24 interposed between. the nut and base of the. bracket so that. the parts cannot work loose under the vibration of-the roadbed. The contacting surfaces of the base and the washer may be serrated, as shown at 25, to

prevent loosening and the bracket is prefer-' ably slotted, as shown at 26, to facilitate accurate adjustment. On the bracket 14 is a carbon block or equivalent member 27 pro viding a surface against which the movable contact bears when the c1rcu1t is closed.

through the switch box. The carbon block and equipped with nuts 29 as shown. To prevent the splitting or cutting of the block around the head of the bolt, we provide clamping plates 30 which bear against the block and receivethe impact of the head of the bolt as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. A

piece'of coppernetting or similar material contact member, without impairing the electrical conductivity of the fixed contact mem- 127 is secured to the bracket by bolts 28 111-, serted through the said block and the bracket tener for the fixed contact, serves to electricallyconnect said contact withthe cable 9. The protecting pipe 10 of the cable is made in sections and theends of the sections are separated at a point within the seat 8 so that a clip-32 can-be applied around the cable between the adjacent ends of the pipes, the ends of the clips being apertured to fit over the threaded stud or extremity 38 of the bolt. A nut 34 screws on this. stud. and clamps the clip against the head ofthe bolt, and in this manner, the clip is firmly clamped around the cable and is also clamped against the head of the bolt to make a good electrical connection between the cable andthe bolt. To prevent the nut 34 from turning, one extremity, 35, of the clip is bent downwardly over the nut.v

The movable contact of the switch is a block 36 of non-magnetic electrically conductive material" which 'is carried by the lower extremity of a swinging arm 37 adapted to swing toward and. from the fixed contact and thereby bring the contacts into and out of engagement.

magnetic circuit is closed and the armature.

is attracted, it will swing to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the con tacts will be caused to engage. The armature and movable contact are preferably car-- ried by the cover 39, so that when the latter is removed, the armature and movable contact will also be removed from the body and the fixed contact will be exposed, all the working parts being thus made accessible so that the repairing or renewing of any element is facilitated. To support the armature the cover is provided on itsunder side with depending lugs 40 spaced such a distance apart that the armature 38 can be placed between the lugs. Through these lugs are inserted pivot pins 41 which enter the opposite sides of the armature and thereby peculiar form of the armaturecausing it to cooperate with the energizing pole pieces in such manner that a maximum magnetic pull] will be exerted on the armature when the switch is closed and the contacts will be held 'firmly together while current.v flows through the switch box.

Thearm is rigid with an armature 38 which is fulcrumed on One end of the armature is pro- The cover is formed with a depending peripheral flange l4: which fits around the outside of the housing to form a weather tight joint and screws l5, passing downwardly through the cover and engaging threaded thimbles 16 anchored in the Walls of the housing, removablysecure the cover in place. The cover shown in Fig. 1 has a central contact block :or plate 4:7 with wvhich the collector shoe lS of the car eng gages to receive current for the motor, the

said contact 47 being so shaped that its top surface projects somewhat above the top surface of the cover. and 50 0f the cover are made of magnetizable material and formed on the bottom SlClSS of said sections are pole pieces 51 and 52. The sections of the cover may be anchored together in anysuitable manner, as by forming the middle section with tongues so shaped as to constitute anchoring means with whlch the end sections w1ll interlock when they are cast. The sections of the cover may be tied together by zigzag wires 54: each arranged in a joint between two adjacent sections and embedded partially in both, as shown in Fig. 2. The pole piece 51 is triangular and has its inner end made arcuate to form a polar face 55 concentric with the axis of the armature while the pole piece 52 is in the form of a parallelogram in longitudinal section and the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

1 in which position the magnetic circuit will be fully closed. When the circuit is closed, the lines of magnetic flux passing between the pole piece 51 and the adjacent end of the armature extend approximately at right angles to. those passing between the opposite end of the armature and the pole piece 52, and as the result of this change in the direction of the flow of themagnetic lines of force, a much stronger magnetic torque is produced than has been possible in any previous construction. Said magnetic torque tends to turn the armature to a new tral position between the pole pieces. This neutral position, however, can never be attained because theengagement of the movable con-tact 36 with the fixed contact13 arrests the movement of the armature as before stated. Thus there will be a strong pull on the armature while the pole pieces The end sections 49 ture.

are energized, and as a result, a firm, reliable engagemcnt between the contacts will be maintained. In order to provide foran etl'ective passage of current from the contact 36 to the contact 47, one or a pair of 'lexible conductors 58 are employed, the said conductors having their upperends anchored in a threaded thimble 59 that screws into the bottom surface of the intermediate section of the cover whilethe lower ends of the flexible conductors are anchored in the block 36. The flexible conductors extend through a passage 60 leading from the bottom 1 to i the top of the arma- Since the conductors 58 are flexible, they do not interfere with the movement of the armature and as they are insulated. by their wrappingor covering from the armature they prevent interference between the electric and magnetic circuits. As theelectric contacts are both insulated and the body of the box is of concrete or cementitious material, dissipation of the current is prevented and the full strength of the current will pass to the collector shoe and thence into the working circuits on the car.

In order that the cngagingfaces of the contacts may rest squarely against each other, the movable contact is formed with side plates 61 which pass on opposite sides of the end of the arm 37, a pivot pin 62 beinginserted through said side plates and the end of said arm and being insulated from the arm as indicated at (33.

In: orderthat the bolt 18 and the parts coacting therewith may be easily manipulated,.a notch or recess Gel formed in the outer wall .of the seat 8 in alinement with the opening 65 in the end wall of the hous ing through whichthe bolt 18 and bushing, 19 areinserted.

In Fig. 8, the cover 66 is made of magnetic material with the pole pieces 67 and (38 in one integral member and the central contact plate or block 69 is set into the upper surface of the cover, as clearly shown in the drawing.

\Vhile we have described what we believe to be the best embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that such changes maybe made when desired as are within: the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A contact switch box including a fixed contact, a movable contact arranged to engage the fixed contact, and magnetically influenced means for operating said movable contact,usaid means including pole pieces and an armature, one of the polepicces being arranged in the path of movement of one face oi. the armature, the remaining pole piece and the armature being at all times free of contact.

2. A contact switch box including fixed vand movable contacts, a swinging armature carrying the -movable I contact, and pole pieces arranged at opposite sides of the axis of the armature, one pole piece-being arranged in the path of movement of one end ofthe armature and the opposite pole piece having a face concentric with the axis of rotation of the armature. I

3. A contact switch boxcomprising an element with which a collector'shoe of a car isadapted to engage, a fixed contact,.a movable, contact arranged to engagethe fixed' contact, and magnetically influenced means for operating said movable contact, said means lncludlng pole-pieces and an armature, one of said pole-pieces being arranged intthe path of movement of one face of the armature and the remaining pole-piece and thearmature being at all times free of contact. I

. l. A contact switch box having pole pieces and a swinging armature in cooperative relation therewith, a 'fixedcontact, a movable contact carried by the armature, a fixed element for. engaging a collector shoe on a car, and a'fiexible conductor connected directly to said element and also directly to the movable contact whereby current is. supplied to a car. 7

5. A contact switch-box comprising an element with which a collector shoe of a car is adaptedto engage, an'armature having a passage through it, magnetic means for moving the armature, a fixed contact, a movable contact carried by the armature to engage the fixed contact, and a flexible conductor connected. directly to the movable contact, and also directly to said shoe-engaged elementand passed throughthe' passage in the armature. A

6. Acontact switch box including a casing, a removable cover therefor, an armature pivotally hung from and" removable with the cover, and pole pieces arranged at opposite sides of the axis of the armature, one

I pole piece being arranged in the path of movement of one endof the armature and the opposite pole piece having a face concentricwith the axis of rotation of the'armature, r

7. A contact switch box comprising a housing,circuit-opening and closing means therein including movable and fixed contacts, an insulating plate within the housing, a bolt passing through a wall of the housing and holding said plate-against the housing and the fixed contact against said plate, a supply conductor, and a clip attaching the conductor to the bolt and cooperating with the latter to electrically conne ct the fixed contact with the conductor.

.ing the clip in place.

T 8. A contact switch box comp-rising a housing, asupply conductor exterior thereto,

saidmember having a threaded outer ex-.

tremity, a clipapplied to the. conductor and to the threaded extremity of the member, and a nut' threaded on the member for hold- 9. A contact switch box comprising a housing, a supply conductor exterior thereto,

circuit'opening and closing means within the housing, a metallic member extending into, the housing to form an electrical connectionbetween said means and conductor, said member having a threaded outer extremity, a clip applied tothe conductor and to the threaded-extremity of themember,

and a nut threaded .on the member for holding the-clip in place, said clip having a portion bent against the. side of the nut to prevent loosening thereof. i

10. In a contact switch tionof a housing havinga. seat on one external wall, a conductor resting" on the, seat, a support for the housing, anddevices applied to the conductor and fastenedto box, the combinathe support whereby said devices and the .1

conductor form means for securing the housing to' the support.v V I 11. In a contact switch box, the combination of a housing having a base extension provided with a seat, a conductor resting on the seat, a support for the housing, and clips applied to the conductor and fastened to the support to hold the conductor on the seat and the housing on the support.-

12..A contact switch box comprisinga housing having a seat on the outside thereof, a conductor engaging the seat, there being a notch in the outer wall of said seat, said notch extending transversely of the seat,

circuit opening and closingmeans in the.

housing, and a detachable electric connection between the conductor and said circuit opening and closing means,'said connection terminating on the. outside of the housing within the seat and in alinement with the notch in the outer wall of the latter, whereby the connection is removable through'said notch. I r

.13. In a contact switch box, the combination of a housing having an open trough like seat, a conductor extending through the seat and-including a cable and a protecting pipe, said pipebeing made in sections arranged in alinement and constituting continnations of one another and having adjacent ends separated within the seat, circuitopening and closing means in the housin and means applied to the cable between'the separated ends of the protecting pipe and connected with the circuit opening and clos ing means for supplying current thereto from the cable.

l4aA contact switch bo-x comprising a housing, a fixed contact therein, a removable cover having pole pieces at its ends on its under sideiand an intermediate electrically conductive non-magnetic portion, an armature pivotally suspended ontheunder side ofthe non-magnetic portion of the cover between the pole pieces thereon, a movable contact carried by the armature to engage the fixed contact in the housing, said movable contact being of non-magnetic material, and. an insulated conductor secured to and extending between the said movable contact and the non-magnetic portion of the cover.

15. A contact switch box comprising a housing, a fixed contact therein, a removable cover for the housing having pole pieces on its under side, an armature pivoted on the under side of the cover between said pole pieces, a non-magnetic projection on the cover, an arm projectingfrom the armature, a contact plate pivoted to the free end of said arm, andan insulated conductor secured to and extending between said contact plate and the non-magnetic projection.

16. A surface contact device for electric railways having a pivoted armature carrying a movable contact, pole pieces arranged at opposite sides of the axis of said armature, one of said pole pieces extending opposite one end of the armature and having a curved face presented to said end of the armature which is correspondingly formed, the other pole piece arranged in the path of the other end of said armature, and a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said movable contact when the armature is actuated by magnetic force through said pole pieces.

17. A surface contact device for electric railways having a pivoted armature carrying a movable contact, pole pieces arranged at opposite sides of the axis of said armature, one of said pole pieces projecting beyond the axis of the armature and having a curved face presented to a correspondingly formed end of the armature, the other pole piece terminating short of the axis of the armature and arranged in the path of the other end of said armature, and a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said movable contact when the armature is actuated by magnetic force through said. pole pieces.

18. A surface contact device for electric railways having a pivoted armature carrying a movable contact, pole pieces arranged at opposite sides of the axis of said armature, one of said pole pieces extending 0pposite one end of the armature and having a curved face presented to said end of the armature which is corresponchngly formed, the other pole piece arranged in thepath of the other end of said armature, and a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by said movable contact when the armature is actuated by magnetic force through said pole piece, and the latter capable of exerting the maximum pull on said armature when the contacts are engaged. r

19. A contact switch box comprising a housing, a fixed contact therein, a removable contact having pole pieces at its ends on its under side and an intermediate electrically conductivenon-magnetic portion, an armature pivotally suspended on the under side of the non-magnetic portion of the cover between the pole pieces thereon, one of: said pole pieces being arranged inthe path of movement of one end of the armature and the opposite pole piece having a face concentric with the axis of rotation of the armature, a movable contact carried by the armature to engage the fixed contact in the housing,said movable contact being of non-magnetic material, and an insulated conductor secured to and extending between the said movable contact and the non-magnetic portion of the cover.

20. A surface contact device for electric 'ailways having a magnetically operated movable contact, and a fixed contact comprising a support, a carbon block carried thereby and a piece of netting interposed between said carbon block and support and providing an air space between them for cushioning the carbon.

21. A switch box including a movable contact,a fixed contact in electrical communication with a source of supply, an armature operating the movable contact, and magnetic pole pieces for operating the armature, the magnetic face of one pole piece being curved on a surface concentric with the movement of the armature, the magnetic face of the other pole piece constituting a plane surface.

22. A switch box including a movable contact, a fixed contact in electrical con'nnunication with a source of supply, an armature operating the movable contact, and magnetic pole pieces for operating the armature, the magnetic face of one pole piece being curved on asurface concentric with the movement of the armature, the magnetic face of the other :pole piece constituting a plane surface arranged in the path of movement of the cooperating portion of the armature.

23. A switch box including a movable con tact, a fixed contact in electrical communication with a source of supply, an armature operating the movable contact, and magnetic pole pieces for operating the armature, the magnetic face of one pole piece being curved on a surface concentric with the.

movement of the armature, the magnetic face of the other pole piece constituting a plane surface approximately perpendlcular with a line: tangential to the curved face of the first mentioned pole piece. v

A contact switch box including a fixed contact, a movable Contact, an armature for operatingthe latter, and'independent pole pieces adapted to magnetically affect the armature, one of said pole pieces having a curvedmagnetic face arranged beyond the pathof travel of the armature and the other of said pole pieces having a fiat magnetic face arranged across the path of travel of the armature, said armature having a curved face to cooperate With one of said pole pieces Copies of: thia patentmay be obtained for and a flatface to cooperate With the remain ing pole piece.

In testimony whereof We affiX oursignw tures in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

SOLOMON BITTER HIPPLE, l/VALTER LEWVIS CONWELL;

lVitnesses for VVa-lter Levvis ConWell: I

J NO. B. Fox, a

E. M. HIPPLE.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Pa-tenth- Wanhmgtonfl). G." 

